Casting himself as an “independent-minded Democrat,” Leawood pastor Adam Hamilton of Resurrection Methodist Church made himself an official candidate for the United States Senate on Thursday morning.
If he wins a crowded Democratic primary in August, then he will face incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.
Hamilton’s announcement on Thursday morning at Prairie Village’s Harmon Park capped a statewide listening tour of 18 communities and cleared up the question of whether he would run as an independent candidate, as had been hinted in some previous messages to church members.
As about 60 supporters looked on, Hamilton said he will apply the lessons of church leadership to reaching consensus in a divided political time, while also fighting hard for the things people want to change.
“I’m an independent minded Democrat dedicated to leading from the center, building bridges across the political aisle between Republicans, Democrats and Independents,” he said.
Emphasized economics in kickoff message
He noted his congregation is roughly divided between Democratic- and Republican-leaning members, yet they have worked side by side with each other to serve people in the community.
“If you’ve never been in a church, you have no idea how much politics are actually involved,” he said. “I’m not naive. Kindness and compassion are not going to solve all of this alone. We have to have the courage to stand up for what we believe is right, to speak up against the wrongs we see in our society and fight for freedoms and restore a functional government in this American state.”
Hamilton was introduced by his wife, LaVon Hamilton, who said he has worked for the underdog and continued to fight for what is right.
He did not talk at length on issues, but did mention a few examples of how things are getting worse for Kansans, including the cost of living, access to health care in rural Kansas, tariffs and government shutdowns.
“Instead of solving our big problems, it feels like our politicians are fighting one another trying to score political points. Instead of making things better, it feels like often they’re making things worse.”
Kansas GOP filed complaint against Hamilton
The Senate race was also recently in the news when state GOP executive director Robert Fillion filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Hamilton made improper use of church resources to relay his thoughts about running to the congregation.
Church officials later responded that the message was informational and intended to let congregants know how his plans might affect the church.
Hamilton did not mention the complaint in his announcement remarks on Thursday, but a campaign spokesman noted earlier that Republicans were using the complaint as a fundraising issue.
Pastors have a long history of running for political office.
In Kansas City, Missouri, for example, Emanuel Cleaver, who was pastor of the St.James United Methodist Church, became a member of Congress while still a pastor.
Although houses of worship are generally tax-exempt, the Internal Revenue Service recently said they can endorse candidates without fear of losing that status.
For its part, the Republican complaint was filed with the Federal Election Commission, not the IRS. The commission still has and enforces a ban on direct political participation by nonprofits.
Crowded Democratic field
Hamilton joins a field of at least eight Democrats interested in replacing Marshall, of Great Bend.
Amy Cunningham of Olathe was one of Hamilton’s supporters in the crowd on Thursday morning.
She said she is not a Resurrection member, but attended the listening tour stop at Limitless Brewing in Lenexa recently and was convinced he’d be a strong candidate to run in a state that has not elected a Democratic U.S. senator for 86 years.
“I’m looking for a candidate who can win,” she said.
She also said she liked Hamilton’s answers on the question of abortion, women’s rights and LGBTQ causes, which she supports.
“He affirmed in a way that made me comfortable,” she said.
Greg Raymond of Prairie Village walked his dog over to Hamilton’s announcement.
“He’s got a tremendous reputation,” said Raymond, adding that he is also not a member of Hamilton’s church. “He’s by far a really good candidate and a good guy. He’s a guy who can make a difference.”
Raymond said he wished Hamilton had stayed with independent status because of the possibility he’ll get pushback from the political left. “That’s really unfortunate because what we want is a winner. The path is very difficult for him.”
At least eight Democrats may compete in the August 4 primary.
They are Christy Davis of Cottonwood Falls, Jason Hart of Wichita, Anne Parelkar of Overland Park, Erik Murray of Kansas City, Kansas, Patrick Schmidt of Topeka, Michael Soetaert of Wellington, Sandy Sidel Neumann of Mission and Noah Taylor of Kechi.
This story was originally published by the Johnson County Post.
